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World-renowned kickboxing prize-fighter, Melsik Baghadasaryan, had two things on his mind at the K-1 World Grand Prix…victory and dignity. He achieved both. And he also had something truly special emblazoned on the front of his trunks…the Armenian Bar Association’s iconic logo featuring paired cranes and twinned peaks of Ararat. With every roundhouse kick and with each knee strike, the Armenian Bar’s crest was caught in the glow of Melsik’s athletic virtuosity. (video excerpt of fight)

The Armenian Bar Association made its way to Tokyo in September in a show of support for the young phenom, known as “The Gun,” who has fast become a sentimental favorite of many Armenian Bar members. Recognized and adored the world over, Melsik has lent his presence to the Armenian Bar’s diverse initiatives, including traveling to Yerevan this past spring with the organization’s Parliamentary Elections Monitoring team.

Leading up to the all-day competition on September 18, 2017, the 25-year-old super star was pegged as the front-runner to come out on top at one of the fighting world’s biggest events – the K-1 World Grand Prix–which was staged at the Saitama Super Arena in front of thousands of roaring fans and followers.

The Armenian Bar delegation was headed and inspired by Mesrop Khoudagoulian and was rounded out by Lucy Varpetian, Karnig Kerkonian, Gayane Khechoomian, and Armen Hovannisian.

“In Melsik, we see and feel our people’s heartbeat and its pulse, our heroic past and our promising future. On a personal note, as a mother of a three-year old boy, I also see in Melsik the type of man that I hope my son, Vahan, will grow up to be: humble and strong, knowing and learning, devoted and appreciative,” said Varpetian.

With this trip to the Orient, the Armenian Bar’s Dignity Mission brand of devotion was launched, first with the delegation’s incense and prayer-filled tribute at the gravesite of the late Honorable Diana Apcar who was the Republic of Armenia’s Ambassador to Japan between 1918 and 1920. The Dignity Mission then pivoted to shore up the courage, patriotism and daring of its representative in the ring.

“The juxtaposition of being in Japan to honor the late Diana Apcar – a pioneering foreign dignitary and humanitarian – and also to cheer our kickboxing champion, Melsik Baghdasaryan, is a testament to the Armenians’ longevity and impression on the world stage. It was a very special mission and one that I hope we replicate in other parts of the world where Armenians have left a mark,” remarked Gayane Khechoomian.

Baghdasaryan, the WLF World Champion, impressed Japanese fans by putting on an absolutely dominant display against his first-round opponent, Yamagiwa Kazuki – earning him a unanimous decision victory from the judges.

“It was an honor to come to Japan wearing the Armenian Bar Association’s logo with its beautiful image of Mt. Ararat,” said Baghdasaryan. “I spent most my life in Armenia, so seeing the Armenian Bar work to make the country a better place helps remind me why I fight too.”

But Japanese fans were not the only ones impressed. The entire Armenian Bar contingent could be seen springing from their ringside seats and cheering with words of encouragement to the daring young man at center stage.

“In our native Armenian tongue, like Julius Caesar long before him, ‘Yegav, desav, direts.’ Yes indeed, Melsik came, he saw, and he conquered,” said Armen Hovannisian. “You just can’t take your eyes off this kid! He is mesmerizing with his every bob, his every weave, his every strike, and his every blow.”

As the packed arena prepared to watch the Armenian in successive bouts, the crowd was stunned when announcers revealed that Baghdasaryan, after his initial victory, had not received medical clearance to continue due to injury. A nerve had been aggravated in his shoulder, rendering the south-paw incapable of raising his left arm.

“I will always hold my head high as well as the tri-color of our homeland. While it was disappointing for me because not only did my coaches and I know, but even the Japanese fans knew, that I would win the belt, I will heal and be back next year for what’s mine, for what’s ours,” said Baghdasaryan.

The rising star later came out to the stands, and after taking pictures and shaking hands with hundreds of fans, Melsik found the proud faces of friends and compatriots.

“It was a great honor and help to have my friends from the Armenian Bar there,” said Baghdasaryan. “As long as I’m fighting, I will always keep that logo and our flag flying high.”

“Melsik’s climb to the top was paved with his God-given gifts, earned with unrelenting training, and yes, inspired by the blood and marrow of the Armenian Nation,” exclaimed Mesrop Khoudagoulian.

Karnig Kerkonian crystallized the essence of the Tokyo leg of the Armenian Bar’s first Dignity Mission, “The Armenian Bar is beholden to the great figures of our past and present, the combination of whom led to the launch of our Association’s Dignity Mission initiative. This time, it was to Tokyo to kneel together at the grave of Ambassador Apcar and to stand as one in the long shadow of Melsik. Next, it will be a pilgrimage to Jerusalem where we will tend to our forlorn cemeteries and to our living communities.”

For nearly three decades now, the Armenian Bar Association has strived to fulfill the mission that was set for this organization by its founder, Raffi Hovannisian.

Our committees, through the outstanding leadership of their chairpersons, have worked tirelessly, united in our common cause to defend the rights of the Armenian people, help develop a rule of law society for Armenia, assist the Republic of Artsakh to achieve statehood, foster professional development of our members and guide our students to attain their goal of entering the ranks of the legal profession.

All of these objectives seamlessly came together during the weekend of June 9-10, 2017, when our Association met for its 28th Annual Meeting in the beauty that is the city of Huntington Beach, California. (Click here to see a summary record of all the good things that happened that weekend.)

Following on the heels of our successful Annual Meeting, I look forward with great anticipation to the coming year for our organization. I welcome and invite you to participate as the Armenian Bar Association sets new milestones in the 2017-2018 year. Our year is starting off with a roaring start when, on July 19, we will be simultaneously hosting events on both coasts: the Inaugural Launch of our NY/NJ/CT chapter committee with its first ever event in New Jersey at the Pilsener Haus and Biergarten located in Hoboken, and on the west coast our first ever joint event with the Italian American Lawyers Association, the Glendale, Pasadena and San Fernando Bar Associations at the always-fun and iconic Casa Italiana in Los Angeles.

Last year, our Mentorship Program, led by the tremendous will and work of Lucy Varpetian, Armen Hovannisian, and Aleksan Giragosian, without question was the greatest source of new members and served as an important bridge between our organization and students and new lawyers. This year, Aleksan has taken over the helm of the Mentorship Program and this one of our organization’s rising stars is already hard at work matching our students with their volunteer mentors.

Our Armenian Rights Watch Committee, through the leadership of our dynamic duo of Garo Ghazarian and Karnig Kerkonian, have enabled us to rocket to international prominence as one of the leading – and sometimes only – voice on matters concerning the defense of Armenian rights. They are battle-tested warriors of the Armenian Cause and they are being recognized as such globally for their work on issues of the rights of the disabled, the rights of women, political prisoners, and so much more.

Three years ago, we established the Armenian Genocide Reparations Committee, with the purpose of attaining restorative justice for the horrific wrongs committed against our ancestors. At its core, the committee is driven by the motivation that restitution for the great national dispossession of the Armenian people may be realized in courts of justice. The AGRC is led by Armen K. Hovannisian, who notes that preparations are underway for the commencement of relevant legal actions. It is anticipated that the first of these claims will be brought in the 2017-2018 term.

This year, we also look forward to holding a series of events in Chicago, Los Angeles and the East Coast, all designed to support the Armenian Bar Association’s scholarship programs and to recognize a legal educator of the year. Through these events, I am confident that we will achieve the goal of making the Vicken I. Simonian Memorial Legal Scholarship an endowment which will guarantee in perpetuity that each year worthy Armenian students will be assisted with the tremendous cost of a legal education.

2017-2018 will also see the return of our most popular event, the Southern California Judge’s Night Dinner. Presently, it is being planned for early November, 2017. We are also planning to see the return of our successful 20 Under 40 event after the New Year.

At our Annual Meeting, our three-term former Chairwoman, Professor Ann Lousin, called on us to bring back the Newsletter. This is the first edition of our revamped Newsletter and we hope you will find that it lives up to the high standards that our Chairman Emeritus, Vicken Simonian, had set. I want to thank our veteran Editor, Armen K. Hovannisian, and all-dash purpose Board Member, Lucy Varpetian, for designing and publishing the new Newsletter. We are introducing an online, easy-to-use format that we hope you will enjoy on a regular basis.

In closing, I want to thank my colleagues on the Board of Governors who bestowed upon me a professional and personal highlight by electing me to a second term as Chairman of the Board of Governors. I look forward to working with my fellow board members shoulder-to-shoulder as we continue our efforts to achieve the mission of the Armenian Bar Association. I know that each of them joins me in extending a welcome invitation to you to partake in the good work of our organization and attend our events throughout the year.